m a n d e m

P O E M S I N P I D G I N E N G L I S H

MAND M

AYODEJI AJAGBE

a Y o d e j I a j a g B e
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POEMS IN
PIDGIN ENGLISH

MAND M
AYODEJI AJAGBE

a Y o d e j I a j a g B e
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Copyrights

A DailyPress

Book®

November 2023

Published by

DailyPress PLC
Lane 9, Tunji Ogunbowale Street, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan, Oyo
State.

If you purchased this book without any cover or from an

authorized website/bookstore you should be aware that this
book is a stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and
destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the
publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

Copyright © 2023 by Ayodeji Ajagbe

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by
any information storage and retrieval system, without the
written permission of the publisher, except where permitted
by law.

ISBN 978-0-98-977648-6

The name “DailyPress” and the stylized “DP” with design are
trademarks of DailyPress PLC.

Published in Nigeria

Visit us on the web at www.dailypressplc.com.ng

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Table of Content
Cover
Page
Title
Page
Copyright
s
Dedicatio
n
Acknowledgeme
nt Introduction
1.Just Manage Am
2.E Go Soon Set
3.My Lord, Where I Go Put Di Bag?
4.Mandem
5.Wetin Concern
Me? 6. 20-10-20
7.Oga Police
8.Love No Be Grammar
9.2020 Na Di Year
10. True Love No Dey Cause Pain
11. Giant Of Africa

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Dedication
Dis poetry collection na for all di people wey no dey afraid
talk truth about the tough wahala and challenges wey we
dey face for Naija. E dey dedicated to our everyday heroes
and heroines wey no wan gree make dem shut their
mouth even in front of wahala. E dey for di
ghters wey dey nd power for their words.

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Acknowledgement
Make I yarn ‘thank you’ for all my mandem wey we
gather work for dis project. See ehn, dis
acknowledgement page na the only place where I
t talk, as sincerely as I t, say I no t make am for
life or for books alone with my own power or skill.
Although na one author dis poetry anthology get,
but dis one author no go t do many things
without the people wey I wan hail below:

Dis one na for the chief executive ofcer of

Lincoln's Art, Olalekan Olapade: Your design talent
dey burst my brain! I dey fall for the book cover
and format wey you create for this book. I
appreciate you well-well, my man.

For my padi, Adeyemi Feranmi and Fikun

Odusola, thank you well-well for reading the early
draft wey I send you and for suggesting titles wey I
t use name this work of art.

Tiri gbosa to my girlie, Motunrayo Bolarinwa. Na

your love dey ginger me. Thank you for di solid
support wey you give me all these years. Thank
you for di love wey you dey show
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me everyday.

For my mandem, Obaijoko Mariam, Ayeni Bukola,

Anusha Garg, Adegbite Joycelyn, Odu Samuel,
Efe Francis, Addyemi Pamilerin, Albert Mokwa
and Nimi Jack. I appreciate you wella for all your
efforts wey make this book project dey successful. I
no t thank you nish for everything wey you do for
me. I pray make Baba God bless you. I also send
salute and big gbosa to all those wey work for this
book but wey I no t mention their name. Thank you
plenty. Your own no go spoil.

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Introduction
Pidgin English na di main way wey plenty Naija people
dey yarn. E hold our culture and wey of life well well. Pidgin
get plenty tins wey e sabi explain way pass formal English.
If you wan sabi Pidgin English well, e no just be to sabi di
words and tins dem, you still need to dey inside di Afro-
centric way wey we reason tins. "Mandem: Poems in
Pidgin English" na my own way of trying make una sabi
how di normal Naija man dey yarn e own.

Pidgin English, wey dem still dey call broken English, e no

just dey Naija alone, e still dey many other West African
countries like Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia,
and some other countries wey I no too remember. For dis
poetry book, I try rescue di language wey people don dey
shun because dem think say e dey too razz. For Naija,
some people don attack Pidgin English, say e no dey make
sense, say e be like say dem turn English upside down.
Even people like Amos Tutuola way sabi Pidgin English
well, dem still come yab hin creativity. Di people wey dey
yarn confam English no like Pidgin because dem dey look
am like say e dey razz anyhow and e no too make sense.

Ayodeji
Ajagbe Poet

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Just Manage Am

Dem say make we just manage am,

E no too good but make we just
manage am, Potopoto road wey don
swallow motor, We just dey waka dey
manage am.

Di light no dey, but na so we dey see

am, Generator dey cough, we gaz dey
manage am, Pikin dey cry, im belle don
dry,
Mama tok say e go beta, make e just dey manage am.

Teacher no dey, school don turn

market, But pikin, you beta for just
manage am, Hospital no get drug,
doctor no dey,
Person wan die, dem still tok say make e manage am.

Potopoto water, na im we dey drink,

Stomach dey turn, but we still dey
manage am,
Olokpa wey suppose protect us, na dem dey

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steal, Wetin man go do? We just siddon dey
manage am.

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Life na war, we dey ght, we dey

guide, Everyday na so we dey
manage am,
Di road wey suppose smooth, e don turn
death trap, But Naija pikin, you gaz manage
am.

Na when pesin don kpayin, na den we dey see road

clear, E take death to dey shake us, before we sabi
say change dey
necessary,
No be to dey manage, manage till e too late to x am,
Na to act sharp-sharp, make we no wait for another gallant
soldier
to fall,
Make we x Naija, no be to dey manage am.

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E Go Soon Set

E go soon set, my country people, make una dey

hear am, Dis tori of hope wey I wan yarn clear,
For dis Naija land, wey wahala and jaga jaga
dey near, Mandem still hope say one day e go
disappear.

E go soon set, my brother, wey things go turn

around, Like pesin wey lost, but go soon be
found,
Our leaders go wake up from their slumber, dem
go hear the sound, Of people's voices, wey no t
be drowned.

E go soon set like di golden

sunrise, As we dey waka, we no go
compromise,
We go stand tall, like palm tree wey
don rise, In di face of wahala, we go
wear disguise.

E go soon set, like rain wey wan fall,

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E go wash away sorrow, bring happiness
come, Our dreams go ourish, like leaf
wey wan sprawl, Naija go beta, we go hear
di call.

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E go soon set, like harmattan

breeze, We go nd peace, like
river wey freeze,
Our hopes go soar high, like birds in
di sky, No more tears, only laughter
and ease.

E go soon set, like dawn after night,

We go shine bright, like di stars wey
dey light, Naija go rise, like an eagle in
ight,
We go make am, we no go lose di ight.

E go soon set, my brother, make we hold

on tight, Believe say beta days go soon
ignite,
Naija go beta, we go reach that height,
E go soon set, my brother, we go dey alright.

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My Lord, Where I Go Put Di Bag?

My lord, where I go put di bag?

Where I go hide di money wey dem
tag? For dis land wey corruption
dey drag, Judiciary don turn justice
to moneybag.

Na so dem dey waka pass envelope,

Di judges dey claim say na payment
probe, Bribery and corruption don turn
full time job, Justice don loss, but na
we dem dey scope.

My lord, where I go stash dis cash?

Inside di courtroom, under the judge's
sash? Or inside dem wig, wey dey look
so ash?
Bribery and corruption don turn di system into trash.

Make i hide am inside the law book?

Or for judge's gavel, wey dey look so
crook? Dem don sell justice, na di

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people dey shock, Di judiciary system
don lose its hook.

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My lord, where I go bury this loot?

Inside the witness stand, wey dey look
so cute? Or for di ceiling wey dey up like
booth?
Dis corruption na disease, walahi, e dey shoot.

Make i put am for di lawyer's

briefcase? Or inside di scales, wey
dey show no grace? Justice don fail,
na im be di case,
For this country, corruption dey embrace.

My lord, where I go keep di bag?

Inside dem robe, wey dey make dem
brag? Di truth don suffer, e don
begin to dey sag, Naija judiciary don
turn into rag.

Di answer dey clear, my lord, e no t

hide, Inside di hearts of those wey dey
decide, Make we ght corruption, make
we take pride,
For justice and truth, make we stand side by side.

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Mandem
My country people, abeg come close make una
con listen, Dis tori na for the mandem,
Mandem wey dey hustle from morning to
night, For dis country wey light no dey
bright.

Mandem wey dey wake up early for

morning, Im mind no dey think food for
kitchen,
Na so so dreams and hope im dey carry,
Na by God grace e go nd daily bread chop belleful.

Na man dem say na im be the head,

E go hustle for moni make e t run
home stead, Even when he no get, e
must to provide,
E go sweat, e go struggle, hin no t hide.

Mandem dey work, dey toil, dey

sweat, E go carry load wey big
pass hin weight, Na so so bills dey
fall like rain,
E dey hustle, yet e no t complain.
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Dem say big men no suppose

cry, Say na only women
allowed to y, But who go sabi
say inside hin heart,
E dey pain, e dey hurt, na just brave face e dey cut.

Mandem no get place to yawn,

Nobody to lean on, when matter no dey
form, E dey face hin wahala all alone,
E no get support system, because na everybody dey bone.

Even when e sick, e go still dey

work, Even when e tire, e go still
dey hawk, Because if e no do, who
go feed im pikin?
Who go pay for school fees, who go pay for clinic?

Na why mandem no dey live long,

Because of di wahala wey dem make
dem run, I pay make baba God give
dem strength, Make dem t carry dis
load reach di end.

Make dem no just work like elephant, chop

like ant, Make dem t live long, enjoy di
fruit of their plant, Make their hustle no be
in vain,
Make dem see beta days, with no more pain.

I dey pray make man no just die young,

Make e t see im pikin grow, make e t sing
am song, Make e t enjoy the fruit of im
labour,
Make e see beta days, with no more horror.

Abeg make una try reason with

mandem, E no easy to be man for
dis economy,
Give mandem more love, give dem more

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care, Dem be hero, celebrate dem while dem
still dey here.

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e no concern me

Dem deY beat emeka

Wetin Concern me?

Dem carry Emeka commot one
morning, Beat am softly like
pounded yam,
And push am inside the back
Of one lorry wey don dey wait outside.

Wetin concern me for the

matter? So far dem no carry
the buredi Wey I dey chop
for mouth.

Cultists show face for my yard one

night, Dem use wahala wake
everybody up, And drag Hamza
commot,
Carry am go one bush wey e dey missing for long.

Wetin concern me for the

matter? So far dem no carry
the buredi Wey I dey chop
for mouth.

Shade go work one day,

Only to see say oga don sack am away from
work, No query, no warning, no

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investigation
Oga just sack am, her clean record no even reach to save
am.

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Wetin concern me for the

matter? So far dem no carry
the buredi Wey I dey chop
for mouth.

Then one Friday, as I settle to chop my

buredi, Knock for my door freeze my
hungry hand.
One lorry dey wait for my front
yard, E just dey wait, dey wait,
dey wait…

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20-10-20

Padi, na sorrowful tale i wan yarn you

today, For di black day, wey pain full
ground lay, Lekki massacre, we no go
forget,
Di blood wey ow, na pain for our heart.

Na who give di order to kill innocent souls?

Na question we dey ask, e no dey touch your
souls? Who be di puppet, wey pull di strings?
To take innocent lives, and clip dem wings.

#EndSARS protest, na wetin start di

ght, Against police brutality, di
wahala wey tight,
Naija youths boku for street, say their mumu
don over, But government response, na bullets
for supper.

Na so we gather, under di night sky,

With candles and ags, we no wan run
or hide, Peacefully we stand, for justice
we plead,

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But bullets rain down, we fall like weed.

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For Lekki toll gate, wey suppose be safe

place, Gunshots scatter ground, fear for
every face, Di cries of di wounded, di
blood wey dey ow, Di echoes of
sorrow, wey heavy for our soul.

We ask again, na who give di order?

To shoot unarmed protesters, with ag on
dem hand, We ask for justice, for di lives wey
we lose,
Di pain and di anguish, wey dey refuse to diffuse.

Naija youths, we go remember di

ght, For di ones wey die, we go
carry their light, No be in vain, di
sacrice wey dem make, Di legacy
go live on, for di justice we take.

20-10-20, di date we no go forget,

Di pain and di sorrow, e dey linger for our
head, But we go carry on, and continue di
ght,
For di truth and di justice, we dey hold on tight.

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Oga Police

Oga Police, na wetin we do?

We no dey thief, we no cause
hullaballoo, Na because say we t
carry Uber ride, You dey harass us,
no place to hide.

Oga Police, you suppose be our

friend, But na you dey make our
happiness end, Our hearts dey beat
like konga drum,
Anytime we see you for road, fear dey come.

Oga Police, to carry iPhone na crime?

Na for your custody we dey spend our
time, You see us carry laptop, you start
to dey shout, Na so so wahala, when you
dey around.

Oga Police, shey na so we go dey

live? With your brutality, na our joy
you dey thief, You dey chase us, like
say we be goat,

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In our own country, we no t oat.

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Oga Police, you see as we ne,

You say we be yahoo, because of
designer line, Our hair fresh, you start
to dey vex,
Na so so torment, shey you no dey rest?

Oga Police, how di tin go be

now? Na so we go dey live in
fear, how?
Your katakata don cause plenty
sorrow, We dey pray for a better
tomorrow.

Oga Police, enough of your

wahala, Na beg we dey beg, we
no want casala, We be innocent
youths, no be thief, Abeg, make
you una kill us with grief.

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Love No Be Grammar

Money no t buy love,

That one na Oyinbo
palava, Ask Naija
woman,
Then you go know
say, Love no be
grammar.

Ask am, 'Omoge how do you

do?' If your pocket dry,
Dry like Sahara
desert, And if she buy
your story, Then love
na grammar.

Quote all the Shakespeare all you

want! Read all the Romeo and Juliet
for her, Blow all the Oyinbo grammar
wey you sabi, If money no dey for
hand,
Back no go touch ground.

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Give Oyibo woman ododo,

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She go cherish you pass

Mango, Try am with a Naija
woman,
You go hear "shey na ower I go
chop?” Wetin Naija woman sabi?
If you say na money, me I no dey o.

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2020 Na Di Year
2020 na di year when warehouses turn to worship
houses, Companies don waka kitikata,
Churches and mosques, na dem dey
now, Everybody con turn prayer
warrior.

2020 na di year wey you go need water, you go

borehole go buy,
You need security, you go police go pay.
If you need light, you waka go buy
generator. Petrol nko? You buy from
black market.

Every day, every day, dem dey yarn say 2020 na

di year, Na di year wey light go shine well well,
Na di year wey water go ow
everywhere, Milk and honey sef go
ow.

2020 dey don come

so, Wey be like
tomorrow Na im be
di year
Wey every every go boku,

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Wey better life

Go yafu yafu for
Naija. So we siddon
dey look, Dey listen to
this kin yarn.

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True Love No Dey Cause Pain

If you wan fall in love,

No go x your mind for money alone,
Look for person wey you go love well
well, Look for person wey go treat
you well, Because true love no dey
cause pain.

When you dey nd love,

No go put all your mind for beauty
alone, Because beauty t fade,
But true love no dey fade,
The person wey ne t no treat you right,
Shine your eyes, because true love no dey cause
pain.

If you wan fall in love,

Search your mind well
well, Sabi wetin you
like,
Sabi whom you t tolerate,
No go fall in love with person wey go break your
heart, No go fall in love with person wey go dey
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happy to cause

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you pain,
All things wey dey shine no be
gold, True love no dey cause
pain.

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Giant Of Africa

Dem say Naija na our own,

But e con be like say na borrow we dey
borrow, Country wey suppose dey shine
like gold,
Na im dey make man face dey frown.

For giant of Afrika, wahala no dey

nish, Everyday na so-so palava,
Security na just for mouth,
My country people no t waka freely.

Gunshots dey sound like music,

Hoodlums dey act like say dem be
king, Lawlessness don turn to di
new norm, We tire for dis kain
wahala.

As dem don close border, food no

dey, Price dey rise like say na
race, Ordinary man no t chop
belleful, Hunger don hold our
people for neck.

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Naira wey we dey call our own

moni, E no t stand gidigba for
foreign market,
Dollar and pounds dem dey give am
smackdown, Di economy just dey roll for
gutter.

Leaders wey we vote for change,

Dem dey chop our money like say na
palliative, Dem no send the suffer wey
we dey suffer, Dem pocket dey fat while
we dey thin.

Cost of living don high pass

mountain, Common man no t
afford di basics, House rent, school
fees, even pure water, Everything
don cost, we dey suffocate.

We dey cry, we dey shout,

But e con be like say our voice no dey
loud, We need help, we need change,
Naija no t continue like this.

We dey beg, we dey pray,

Make this suffering and hardship go
away, We common man, we need
breathe, Naija, when this wahala go
end?

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About the Author

Ayodeji Ajagbe writes books, which, considering where
you're reading this, makes perfect sense. He's best
known for writing romance and politcal thrillers,
including the Bambooks bestseller What Happened to
Helen, which won the AfriCAN Honoree Authors' Award
for Best Novel of The Year. He also writes poems, on
subjects ranging from corruption to human hardship to
love, was the Vice Chairman for the National Association
of Writers, Kwara State Chapter. He enjoys pie, as
should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by
visiting www.ajagbeayodeji.com

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